Virtual three dimensional video creation and management system and method

ABSTRACT

A method and system is provided for the creation, management, and distribution of two dimensional video content that appears to a viewer as having a third dimension of depth. The system includes a camera array with multiple cameras at respective different positions that coordinates the off-center rotating motion of apertures that are part of diaphragms in the camera lens systems. The resulting images from each camera in the array are stitched together to create a larger content field and only a portion is displayed at any one time.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/223,174, filed Jul. 29, 2016, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/199,410, entitled “VirtualThree Dimensional Video Creation System”, filed on Jul. 31, 2015, theentire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by referenceinto the present application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and system for the creation,management, and distribution of two dimensional video content such thatthe video content appears to a viewer to have a third dimension ofdepth. In an exemplary aspect, traditional video content is captured andmanipulated in such a way that it can be presented to a viewer on astandard video display and have the appearance of depth even without theuse of specialized display or viewing equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Video content may be captured and managed in a variety of ways. Inparticular, there have been multiple ways in which the illusion of depthhas been created for the viewer through the use of enhanced twodimensional video. Historically, these approaches for creating theillusion of depth (i.e., three dimension or 3D video) have includedamongst other techniques, Two-Color Anaglyphic 3D, Side-by-Side 3D,Top-Bottom 3D, Full High Definition 3D, Checkerboard 3D, Active Shutter,Passive Shutter, Circular Polarization, Auto-Stereoscopic Display,Interference Filter Technology, and other methodologies. All of thesemeans have required specialized equipment (e.g., generally specialviewing glasses and/or special displays) for the viewer to experiencedepth in video.

These approaches to create 3D video experiences are all complicated forthe content creators, the content distributors, and especially for theviewer who is required to acquire and use specialized equipment.Furthermore, to maintain the illusion of 3D, the viewer is oftenrequired to have a particular physical position relative to the displaydevice. Additionally, it is somewhat common for viewers to experienceill effects (often nausea or headaches and there have been concerns ofpossibly greater neurological impacts) from viewing 3D content by meansof the existing methods. All of these factors combine to create asomewhat high degree of user dissatisfaction with the current 3Dmethodologies as evidenced by the very low consumer adoption of 3Dtechnologies in the home consumer electronics market. Additionally, evenof those consumers that purchased the equipment, few utilize it on afrequent basis. Though many consumers desire a 3D experience, thecurrent methods to provide it have too many shortfalls for the averageconsumer.

An additional drawback of traditional 3D is that it is singleperspective 3D—the viewer is always at a single predeterminedperspective—there is not any holographic or near holographic ability forthe viewer to change their perspective or otherwise “see around” anobject that appears to be in the foreground in order to more clearly seean object in the background.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method to provide a virtual3D experience that does not require the consumer to utilize specializeddisplay or viewing equipment. Furthermore, additional benefit would comefrom a system that would provide a near holographic, multi-perspective3D viewing experience. Thus, the system and method disclosed hereinprovides a technique to combine specially produced video from an arrayof multiple cameras to create a virtual 3D experience that does notrequire any specialized display or viewing equipment and may alsoprovide a multi-perspective virtual 3D experience.

In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a system andmethod that coordinates the off-center rotating motion of apertures thatare part of diaphragms in camera lens systems on a set of cameras thatresults in images that are generally more sharply in focus at the centerof each camera's images. Center focus is generally how each human eye“works”—with sharper focus and a greater degree of detail in the centerof the field of view and softer focus on the edges. Then the center fociof the two human eyes are coordinated to allow perception of the 3D realworld. Thus, generally when an individual sees an image with sharpcenter focus and slight edge blurring, the item in the center seems tostand out more, as if it was located closer to the viewer. The resultingimages from each camera in the array are stitched (i.e., combined)together to create a larger content field, only a portion of which isdisplayed at any one time, but each image having a virtual 3D effect andthen by changing which portion of the image field is displayed amulti-perspective virtual 3D effect may be achieved. The relative cameralocations, the size(s) rates, and directions of rotation of theapertures can all be adjusted to create alternative effects for theviewer experience.

Further, in accordance with the exemplary embodiment, the portion of thecontent field (i.e., the field of view) displayed on a viewing device ata given time is based on viewing data received from the viewing devicethat indicates the perspective that the field of view should exhibit ofthe larger content field at a given time. For example, in one aspect,this view perspective data can be generated by the viewing device inresponse to an input signal received from a user of the viewing device.In another aspect, the view perspective data can be generated by motionsensors that detect a position of a viewer relative to the viewingdevice and/or internal sensor of the viewing device, such as anaccelerometer, a touch sensor, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, an opticalsensor, an inclinometer, and/or an inertial tracker.

The above simplified summary of example aspects serves to provide abasic understanding of the present disclosure. This summary is not anextensive overview of all contemplated aspects, and is intended toneither identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor delineatethe scope of any or all aspects of the present disclosure. Its solepurpose is to present one or more aspects in a simplified form as aprelude to the more detailed description of the disclosure that follows.To accomplish the foregoing, the one or more aspects of the presentdisclosure include the features described and exemplarily pointed out inthe claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate one or more example aspects ofthe present disclosure and, together with the detailed description,serve to explain their principles and implementations.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system for 3D content creationand management in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate block diagrams of various exemplary embodimentsof the camera array according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a system for a camera diaphragmsystem in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a system for the Content and afield of view in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5A illustrates a relationship between the exemplary camera arrayand corresponding viewing content created by the array during operationof system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5B illustrates the relationship between the exemplary camera arrayand the corresponding viewing content that includes varying fields ofview during operation of system according to an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 5C further illustrates the relationship between an array, thecorresponding Content, and an exemplary field of view according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a more detailed view of theexemplary components of the 3DCCMS according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart for a method for creating, managing anddistributing virtual 3D content in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a general-purpose computer system onwhich the disclosed systems and method can be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Various aspects of the invention are now described with reference to thedrawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to likeelements throughout. In particular, the following detailed descriptionoutlines possible embodiments of the proposed system and methoddisclosed herein for exemplary purposes. The system and method are in noway intended to be limited to any specific combinations of hardware andsoftware. In the following description, for purposes of explanation,numerous specific details are set forth in order to promote a thoroughunderstanding of one or more aspects of the invention. It may be evidentin some or all instances, however, that any aspects described below canbe practiced without adopting the specific design details describedbelow. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shownin block diagram form in order to facilitate description of one or moreaspects. The following presents a simplified summary of one or moreaspects of the invention in order to provide a basic understandingthereof.

As will be described below, the system and method disclosed hereinrelates to the creation, management, and distribution of virtual 3Dvideo content that can be viewed by a user (the terms “viewer” and“user” are used interchangeably herein) without the use of specializedviewing or display equipment. For example, the virtual 3D content can beplayed-out on a traditional TV, a tablet, a smart phone, a PC display, alarge scale public display screen, a personal virtual reality (VR)viewer, etc. and viewed by the naked eye (e.g., without the use ofspecialized 3D glasses—including but not limited to two-color,polarized, or shutter glasses). The system and method provides for videocontent creation and management (including but not limited to audio,video, images, metadata, contextual data and transactional data,collectively, the “Content”), such that the Content appears to havedepth, beyond a standard two dimensional image (i.e., to have threedimensions, “3D”). The Content resulting from the disclosed system isbroadly displayable (generally agnostic to device type, manufacturerand/or operating system). Furthermore, in one exemplary implementation,the Content can be displayed on a stationary display and can provide anear-holographic experience (e.g., the image changes as the viewerchanges their point of view). Accordingly, if an object in thebackground is obscured by an object in the mid-ground the viewer maychange their perspective or otherwise see “around” the obscuring objectin the mid-ground to clearly see the object of interest in thebackground. Alternatively, the Content can be displayed on a movabledisplay and the Content's points of view can be changed in relation tothe change in position of the display device, or, alternatively, theContent can be displayed in a near-holographic manner on a movabledisplay device and provide the Content's points of view that changes inrelation to the change in position of the viewer and in relation to thechange in the position of the display device. In one aspect, it shouldbe appreciated that these three exemplary embodiments may need somewhatspecialized display devices (e.g., tablets or smart phones) withappropriate software.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system 100 for creating andmanaging 3D content according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention. As described herein the system 100 is referred to as a 3DContent and Creation and Management System (i.e., the “3DCCMS” or the“3DCCMS 100”) and is provided for creating, managing and distributingContent (defined above) to various distribution systems and displaydevice systems. According to the exemplary embodiment, the Content canbe distributed in real-time (e.g., live Content), as pre-recordedContent, or as a combination of the two. The 3DCCMS has a variety ofcomponents with functions as described in more detail below.

As shown, the system 100 includes a camera array 101 (the terms array101 and camera array 101 are used interchangeably herein) that is a setof two or more cameras (e.g., cameras 101A, 101B, 101C, 101D, . . . 101nth, etc.) (examples of which are shown in FIG. 2) that have aspecialized diaphragm system (mechanical or digital) that allows theaperture to rotate around the diaphragm in a managed way to create animage that is more sharply focused in the center and less focused on theedges. Thus, according to an exemplary embodiment, one or a few camerasin array 101 that are creating an image by generating image data duringoperation that will correspond to the center of the user's field of view(discussed below) will be configured (based on rotation of the aperture,for example) to create the sharply focused center of the field of view(e.g., a center section of the field of view). As described herein thecameras of the array 101 are described as being configured to capture animage or image data and/or generate an image or image data. Moreover,all of the data captured by each camera in array 101 is used (i.e.,combined together as discussed below) to create the Content. Thecaptured data can include, but is not limited to, still images, videoimages, contextual data, metadata and/or audio, according to theexemplary embodiment. Moreover, it should be understood that thedescription of a camera's configuration to capture images and/or imagedata is referring to the each camera's ability to capture an image usingconventional techniques with the exception being that the aperture foreach camera is configured to rotate around the camera's diaphragmaccording to one exemplary embodiment.

It is noted that a “center section” as described herein generally meansthe center, but should not be limited to the absolute mathematicalcenter of the field of view and can be offset from the mathematicalcenter according to exemplary embodiments. Moreover, the additionalcameras that surround these center cameras will be configured slightlydifferently (again based on the rotation of aperture, for example) tocreate less focused or soft image content (e.g., slightly out of focus)around the periphery of the center of the field of view (i.e., aperipheral section of the field of view). Moreover, as the requestedfield of view changes, the configurations of the different cameras inthe array 101 will be adjusted to seamlessly move the field of view,including the center section and peripheral section across the overallContent. This imaging technique mimic an individual's natural adjustmentof his or her view as the individual moves his or her eyes.

The design of the exemplary configuration is different than atraditional camera system that has a fixed diaphragm with a centerlocated aperture which can change in size (allowing in more or lesslight), but remains fixed in the center of the diaphragm. This fixedcenter aperture location produces content that is all in equal focus(i.e., the center and edge of the resulting image(s) all have the samesharpness of focus). The size, the direction of rotation, the speed ofrotation, and all other of the aspects of the aperture, its motion, andthe camera frame rate (e.g., the refresh or scan rate) and coordinationof any and all of these elements for each camera and between the camerasthat are part of the array 101 can all be managed and varied to producedifferent optical effects.

Moreover, according to the exemplary embodiment, the settings of thevarious aforementioned apertures may all be changed to produce thedesired optical effects. For example, if it is desired to treat all ofthe Content as one single large field of view, the cameras in the centerof the array 101 would be centered with very little aperture movementand the cameras at the edge of the array 101 would have significantaperture movement (relative to the central cameras) such that the entireContent would be singularly center focused. Furthermore, each camera(e.g., cameras 101A, 101B, 101C, 101D, . . . 101 nth, etc.) can beindividually controlled by a capture/integration/storage system 102 thatalso captures all of the data about each individual camera's settings inaddition to the video content itself. The diaphragm system of each ofthe cameras is generally located between the lens and the body of thecamera. Additionally, the diaphragm system can be affixed to a widevariety of readily available camera systems and is agnostic as to make,model, format, level of definition, operating system, and the like, ofthe camera.

According to exemplary embodiments, the array 101 of two or more cameraswith the specialized diaphragm systems can be configured in a variety ofways, including a planar grid or non-planar (including parabolicsections—concave or convex—including spheres, partial spheres,hemispheres, and portions thereof) grid of various dimensions, shapes,organizational structures, and various numbers of cameras with thespecialized diaphragm being utilized (the “array”). Additionally, thefocus of the array 101 can be set such that the field in focus is planaror non-planar (including parabolic sections—concave or convex—includingspheres, partial spheres, hemispheres, and portions thereof) and havingvarious dimensions. Furthermore, it is understood that an array 101according to an alternative embodiment can include one or more camerasbeing moved to different positions in the grid over the content capturetime. The array 101 may be further enhanced with the addition ofmicrophones at each of the camera locations (or alternatively atadditional locations or at only a few of the camera locations) such thata “surround sound” type audio experience may be added to the videocontent, creating a more multi-sensory immersive experience—reinforcingthe impression of 3D.

Also, in alternative embodiments, it should be understood that a similaroptical effect that results from the aperture movement (e.g., centersharp focus and edge soft focus) can be achieved in either a live orrecorded content environment by a digital manipulation of the contentimages, or alternatively through a variety of other physical opticalmanipulations of the lens systems. For example, as the field of view (tobe displayed on the viewing screen changes), the system 100 isconstantly determining which of the one or more cameras in the array 101are providing the center focus of the video content and which cameras inthe array 101 are providing the soft focus. According to the exemplaryembodiment using digital manipulation, the system 100 will have all ofthe cameras using the cameras traditionally with centered diaphragmapertures (such that the center and edge of the resulting image(s) allhave the same sharpness of focus) and then digitally adjust pixels(e.g., reducing the sharpness of focus of sets of pixels) in the imagedata provided by each of the cameras in the array 101, such that thecenter pixels for the field of view in the Content have a sharp focuswhile the peripheral pixels in the field of view have a soft focus.Moreover, as the field of view changes and the capture data from one ormore different cameras is included in the field of view, the system 100will adjust the view and, in particular, the display of pixelsaccordingly. In any case, the disclosed system 100 involves contentimages with a portion in sharp focus and a portion in soft (or out of)focus.

An array 101 can be created of cameras (e.g., cameras 101A, 101B, 101C,101D, . . . 101 nth, etc.) with standard aperture set-ups that capturecontent and then the effect of a portion of the content being in sharpfocus and a portion of the content being in soft focus can be achieveddigitally (e.g., in a live, recorded or live/recorded hybridenvironment) while that effect is not present in the original content.Standard capture and digital manipulation is particularly important whenthe field of view is traversing the Content and the area that is thecenter of the field of view is changing. For example, when traversingfrom content captured by 101A to content captured by 101B there is atransition edge between the two images (i.e., both images have softfocus edges with separate sharp focus centers) that must be addressed tocreate a smooth experience, such that the center of focus remains cleareven though the field of view being displayed on the viewing device ischanging. In this embodiment, the relative positions and angles of eachcamera in the camera array 101 as well as the timing data of therespective image captures (e.g., images and/or video streams) isrecorded and provided for the system 100. As a result, the system 100can accurately combine the image data from each camera to create thecombined viewing field for the camera array 101.

According to yet another embodiment, the array 101 does not have to be acollection of cameras at set locations. Rather, Content from a set ofcameras (including commercial, personal, phone or tablet cameras) can becollected and through location based information (by a variety ofmethods, including but not limited to, GPS location, CellularPositioning System (CPS) location, image cues, and the like),coordination of the timing of the content capture (by a variety oftechniques including, but not limited to, video image synchronization,sound synchronization, central GPS/CPS time synchronization, and thelike), and digital content manipulation virtual 3D content and alsonear-holographic content may be created. For example, all of the contentcaptured by all of the phone cameras at a football stadium could becollected, coordinated and consolidated into one multi-perspectivenear-holographic collection of Content. In this aspect, the systemrequires an understanding of the location of the cameras and the timingof the content capture.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the 3DCCMS includes acapture/integration/storage system 102. In general, system 100 can beone or more integrated systems that capture the content from each camerain the array 101 and “stitch” the various individual image files orstreams from each camera together to create one combined file or stream(or related subsets thereof) that incorporates all of the data from allof the array 101, either in any of a live, recorded, or live withrecorded manner. According to the exemplary embodiment, the stitchingtogether of the data from each camera in the array 101 to create theContent is accomplished through the use of software (e.g., “stitchingsoftware”) that is configured to match adjacent frames (e.g., on a pixelby pixel basis) from more than one file to create one larger file (e.g.,similar to panoramic photos that are created by putting togethermultiple adjacent photos).

According to the exemplary aspect, the capture/integration/storagesystem 102 may be any type of computing device that includes softwarecode (e.g., processor executable instructions) in memory, that, whenexecuted by a processor of the system 102, execute the algorithmsdescribed herein for the stitching software. A more detailed blockdiagram of system 100 is shown in FIG. 6 and an example of the hardwarecomponents of the exemplary capture/integration/storage system 102 willbe described below with respect to FIG. 8.

In general, it is understood that the system 102 includes a computerprocessing unit (CPU) and electronic memory for storing the contentreceived from the array 101 for processing. As described in detailbelow, the electronic memory can be a computer-readable medium thatincludes data storage, and, by way of example, and not limitation, cancomprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, Flash memory or other types ofelectric, magnetic, or optical storage medium, or any other medium.

The stitching software is more specialized and sophisticated thanconventional methods because it takes into consideration more thanadjacent image content. Typically, traditional image/video processingsoftware (even for a virtual reality application) predominantly performsthe function as named—i.e., the software stitches together atoverlapping points adjacent standard images to create one larger imagewith a minimum of gaps and duplication between the original partialimages in the final larger image. According to the exemplary embodiment,each image or stream (i.e., originally captured, adjusted digitallyfollowing capture, or a combination of both) may have a center sharpfocus and edge soft focus and a simple joining of each of these imageswould result in a poor visual experience with multiple points of focus.Thus, the stitching software may have a feedback loop to the array 101to adjust the individual cameras as the view changes or, alternatively,in the one-to-one viewing experience where any simple content collectionmay be joined together and digitally manipulated to adjust areas ofsharp and soft focus to create the impression of virtual 3D to theviewer.

Further, the exemplary stitching software is configured to take intoconsideration elements including camera related metadata items such asrecording timing (e.g., timing data of image capture by each camera tofacilitate the matching of frames to minimize synchronization and jitterissues), relative positions and angles of each camera with respect toone another, localized audio, optical settings, equipment specifics,frame rate, focal length, nature of the size and movement of theaperture, each camera image center, each camera field of view, and thelike. The stitching software is configured to join or combine the imagesfrom each individual camera, such that the resulting Content is acoherent and cohesive whole—minimizing awkward transitions as the viewertraverses the field of view across the Content. Furthermore, theexemplary stitching software incorporates the metadata related to theimages into the Content such that the display system is able tointerpret and utilize the metadata to provide a robust viewerexperience. Additionally, this system stores all of the captured andcombined data in a format that can be distributed. Furthermore, thecapture/integration/storage system 102 can be communicatively connectedto secondary systems 103 such as the Internet or other systems andintegrate additional content from such secondary systems 103 into theContent.

Additionally, in alternative embodiments the capture/integration/storagesystem 102 can also dynamically change the behavior of the cameras inthe array 101 based on viewer or display device movements or point ofview requests. These changes can happen in real time with change controlcommands to the cameras in the array 101 or changes to the digitalContent manipulation. Alternatively, the changes can happen withrecorded Content by digital manipulation of the Content.

Additional content can be provided by the secondary systems 103.Secondary systems 103 can include systems not included in the 3DCCMS,such as the Internet or image interpretation systems, sales systems,metadata systems, and the like.

Moreover, according to an exemplary embodiment, the distribution system104 is a system configured to deliver the Content and materials fromsecondary systems 103 by a variety of mechanisms in a variety of formatsto secondary distribution systems 105 or to directly connected displaydevices. The distribution system 104 can be connected to secondarydistribution systems 105 or connected display devices directly orindirectly via wired or wireless communication methods.

According to the exemplary embodiment, there are a variety ofmethods/algorithms through which Content (and related data) distributionoccurs, including secondary distribution systems 105, which can include,for example, CDNs (content distribution networks), Internet Protocolsystems, cable systems, direct broadcast satellite systems, and Telco(wired & wireless) systems that in turn deliver the Content to displaydevices. Moreover, Content (and related data) may be distributed ontraditional display device 106, which can include any type of standardTV, smart phone, tablet, or video display that is capable of displayingdigital video content and/or stationary holographic display devices 107,which can include a stationary display device that is, through a varietyof means, able to detect and provide different portions of the Contentdepending on the point of view of the viewer. Generally, the terms“display device(s)” and “viewing device(s)” are used interchangeablyherein.

Moreover, the viewer movement detection can be achieved through avariety of mechanisms, including, for example, eye motion/focusrecognition, motion cameras/sensors, communicatively coupled secondarydevices, and/or touch based sensors that can direct the re-focus, andmovable display device 108. Movable display device 108 can include avariety of movable display devices (e.g., smart phones and tablets thathave a display screen and contain a collection of systems and sensors tomeasure and report on the display screen's relative physical positionand movement, including amongst other things their angle location, rateof change, direction of change, and the like). Moreover, these movabledisplay devices 108 are also capable of playing out the Content andbased on relative movement of the display device, changing what parts ofthe Content is displayed as the field of view at any given moment basedon the Content metadata and the device's physical state. Furthermore,Content (and related data) can be distributed on movable holographicdisplay devices 109 that can include a variety of devices similar to themovable display devices 108, but also have the functionality ofstationary holographic display device 107 (though with the ability tomove). In this case, looking into the holographic movable displaydevices 109 is like looking through a movable window—the viewer can see“through” the viewing device seeing different parts of the Content asthe field of view changes in relation to the movement of the displaydevice. Additionally, the viewer may also look through the window atvarious angles, further changing the field of view.

As described above, the camera array 101 can include two or more camerasthat can be a planar grid, a non-planar grid and so forth. FIGS. 2Athrough 2D illustrate various exemplary embodiments of the camera array101 according to the present invention. For example, the camera array101 shown in FIG. 2A includes a pair of cameras 101A and 101B, thecamera array 101 shown in FIG. 2B includes three cameras 101A-101C, thecamera array 101 shown in FIG. 2C includes a quadrant of cameras101A-101D, and the camera array 101 shown in FIG. 2D includes arectangular grid of cameras 101A to 101X. Thus, according to theembodiments shown in FIGS. 2A to 2D, each of the separate cameras of thearray 101 is physically positioned at a different position in respect tothe other cameras in the array 101. Collectively, the cameras captureimage data that forms the combined viewing field of the camera array101. By positioning each camera at different relative positions, theviewing angle, axis and the like, of the image data captured by eachcamera will be different than every other camera in the array 101.

As illustrated in each of FIGS. 2A to 2D, the arrays 101 can capture abroad area of content with cameras having multiple perspectives sinceeach camera is positioned at a different location relative to the othercameras. When the content from the individual cameras is stitchedtogether the result is the Content. The Content covers an area greaterthan that which is displayed at any one time on the display device, aswill be discussed in more detail below. Thus, a display device at anyone time will only show the given field of view (from the viewer'sperspective), but through the various systems described herein, theviewing device can potentially change the field of view to showdifferent parts of the Content.

This approach to viewing Content is consistent with the naturalexperience of viewing actual items in the physical world where one has alimited field of view at any given moment, but the person is able tochange what is included in the field of view by changing viewingposition to see different portions of the Content. In contrast,conventional configurations of multiple cameras are such that multiplecameras use standard diaphragms without the moving aperture (physicallyor digitally), and are connected in a manner such that the cameras aretightly combined together (all cameras facing out from a centralpoint)—resulting in a single perspective viewing experience—the vieweris always in the center of the view never able to see “around” anyobject thus creating a very limited single perspective 3D experience.

The disclosed system 100 creates a multiple perspective experience wherethe individual is able to view objects from multiple angles (i.e., notnecessarily all from the same origination point) to create a richholographic-like 3D experience where the array 101 provides a morenatural viewing experience that can move as the point of view of theviewer changes, for example, as the viewer's perspective changes in thephysical world. Furthermore, this approach allows individuals to havethis visual experience without the use of the commonly used 3D glassesor viewers.

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a system for a camera diaphragmsystem in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. As described above,each camera in the exemplary camera array 101 includes a specializeddiaphragm system (mechanical or digital) that allows the aperture torotate around the diaphragm to create an image that is more sharplyfocused in the center and less focused on the edges. As shown in FIG. 3,the camera 300 includes a diaphragm 301 and an aperture 302. Separately,each component is configured to operate in a similar manner asconventional optical structures. Thus, according to the exemplaryembodiment, the diaphragm 301 is an opaque structure that is configuredto stop the passage of light, except for the light passing through theaperture 302. The diaphragm 301 is placed in the light path of the lensof the camera 300. Moreover, the aperture 302 is an opening having asize that regulates the amount of light that passes through the lens ofthe camera 300. The center of the aperture 302 for each camera in thearray 101 coincides with the optical axis of the lens system for thatcamera in the case where the center focus effect is created digitally.

In the exemplary embodiment, during operation when the camera 300 iscapturing image data of a viewing field of the camera array 101, theaperture 302 rotates around an axis within the circumference of thediaphragm 301. The movement shown in FIG. 3 is illustrated as aclockwise movement, although, as noted above, the direction of rotation,size, the speed of rotation, and all other of the aspects of theaperture 302 can all be managed and varied to produce different opticaleffects.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of video content and a field of view inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment. As described above, the cameraarray 101 includes a plurality of cameras 101A to 101X, for example,that are disposed at different positions in the array with respect toeach other. Moreover, each camera is configured to capture image datathat is a portion of an entire viewing field of the camera array 101.When the image data captured by each camera in the array 101 is providedto the capture/integration/storage system 102, the system 102 combinesthis image data, using the stitching software, to create combined videocontent of the viewing field of the camera array 101. As shown in FIG.4, the combined video Content is illustrated as combined Content 401.Moreover, during operation of the viewing device (e.g., devices 106,107, 108, and/or 109), the viewing device is able to generateperspective viewing data that is representative of the perspective viewof the Content 401 that is to be displayed on the viewing device. In oneaspect, this perspective viewing data is in response to the user'srequested view of the Content 401. Based on the perspective viewingdata, the capture/integration/storage system 102 is configured togenerate the field of view (e.g., field of view 402) from the combinedvideo content and then cause this field of view to be displayed on theviewing device. As shown, the field of view 402 includes only a portionof the captured image data of the viewing field (i.e., the correspondingContent 401). Moreover, as explained below, as the perspective viewingdata changes or is updated, the corresponding field of view that isdisplayed on the viewing device can also be changed to enhance theuser's experience.

FIG. 5A illustrates a relationship between an array 101 andcorresponding Content 501 created by the array 101 during operation ofsystem 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention. As an example, the camera array 101 can correspond to thearray illustrated in FIG. 2D, which includes a plurality of cameras 101Ato 101X in a planar rectangular grid. As described above, each of thecameras are configured to capture data content and those individualpieces from each camera are able to be combined (i.e., “stitched”)together, by the stitching software of the exemplary embodiment tocreate the larger collection of data known as the Content 501 (e.g.,Content 401 of FIG. 4). In other words, each individual camera creates aportion of the overall content, for example, content 501A is image dataproduced from camera 101A, content 501X is image data produced by camera101X, and so forth. Then, based on the stitching algorithm disclosedherein, the overall Content 501 created by thecapture/integration/storage system 102 is the sum of all the datacollectively captured by each camera in the array 101 and also includesthe metadata that describes all of the data captured about the array 101itself. It should be appreciated that while the Content 501A capturedand generated by camera 101A is illustrated as a square box in FIG. 5A,this shape is provided only for illustrative purposes. The actual imagedata captured by each camera in the array 101 can have any form, shape,or the like, that is provided by any type of camera as would be known toone skilled in the art.

FIG. 5B illustrates the relationship between an array 101 and thecorresponding Content 501 that includes varying fields of view duringoperation of system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention. As illustrated, since each camera of the array 101has a unique point of view, each from a different perspective when thedata from the array 101 is combined by the stitching software, theresulting Content 501 is able to support fields of view from differentperspectives creating the near holographic effect. Preferably, theeffect of center focus to each field of view is added through a varietyof the mechanisms as described herein with the resulting effect being arelatively rich 3D, like experience where the viewer is able to enjoy anoriginal and lifelike visual experience. To ensure that it is a qualityviewer experience, it is critical to support smooth traversing of theContent 501.

For example, 520 illustrates an exemplary field of view at a firstmoment (i.e., point of time) and 530 illustrates an exemplary field ofview at a second moment that is subsequent to the first moment.According to exemplary embodiment, the view presented on the displaydevice transitions from field of view 520 to field of view 530 with theelements, such as the center focus of the field of view, maintained evenif the field of view is incorporating data from multiple cameras in thearray 101. To that end, in one aspect the system 100 can digitallycreate the center focus effect and repeatedly recreate it as the fieldof view crosses the Content 501.

According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5B, it should beappreciated that Content 501 is combined video/image content provided bythe camera array 101 that corresponds to the viewing field of the cameraarray 101. Thus, this video/image Content 501 has first dimensions thatcorrespond to the viewing field of the camera array 101. Moreover, asfurther shown, each of field of views 520 and 530 have second dimensionsthat are smaller than the first dimensions. As explained above, thefield of views 520 and 530 are determined based on view perspective datareceived from the viewing device, and preferably, from the user of theviewing device. In other words, when the system determines a viewingperspective of the viewer relative to the viewing device, the system isconfigured to determine the appropriate field of view, which is a subsetof the overall video/image Content 501.

FIG. 5C further illustrates the relationship between an array 101, thecorresponding Content 501, and an exemplary field of view 540 accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this example,there are nine cameras (each illustrated as a circle, e.g., 101A) thatrespectively capture and generate nine separate sets of image data. Forexample, camera 101A captures and generates image data 501A, etc. Inthis instance, the field of view is (to be displayed on the screen ofthe viewing device) denoted by dashed box 540. Since camera 101Ecaptures image data that will be in the center of the requested field ofview 540, camera 101E will provide that image content that is in sharpfocus while all of the other cameras in array 101 will provide contentthat is in soft focus. As explained above, this variation of sharp vs.soft focus can be generated mechanically or digitally. As a result ofthis process, the field of view 540 displayed on the screen of theviewing device will have the center content 501E (provided by camera101E) in the sharp focus and all of the other content provided by all ofthe other cameras in the array 101 in soft focus. In other words,according to the example, the dashed oval in FIG. 5C may have thecenter/sharp focus correspond to the center section of the field of view540, while all other content in the field of view 540 and outside thecenter focus may be soft focused corresponding to the peripheral sectionof the field of view. It should be appreciated that the degree of focus(or contrast) between the center section and peripheral section can beadjusted according to the system designer as long as the center sectionhas a sharper focus relative to the peripheral section.

FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a more detailed view of theexemplary components of the 3DCCMS 100 according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. As shown, the system 100 can include a camera arraypower source 601 that can be a separate power source (or, alternatively,included in the array 101, for example) coupled to the camera array 101by a variety of hardware components. According to one embodiment, thecamera array power source 601 can include, but not be limited to,battery, USB, AC power, AC to DC transformer, HDMI, Cat-5, and the like,

Moreover, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A to 2D and described previously, thearray 101 can be structured in a variety of ways as long as the relativecamera positions, diaphragm actions, and content capture times are knownby the computer processing unit (CPU) 603 of thecapture/integration/storage system 102. Furthermore, the shape of thecamera array 101 can change over the course of one video capture, aslong as the CPU 603 is provided with the movements and/or locations ofthe individual cameras and adjusts the stitching operations and thecorresponding creation of the Content accordingly. Preferably, thevarious cameras of the array 101 can be connected to the CPU 603 througha variety of hardware mechanism known to those skilled in the art,including, but not limited to, HDMI, Coax, RCA, S-Video, USB, Cat-5,Antenna, wireless, and the like. Additionally, the cameras of the array101 can capture the content in a variety of formats including but notlimited to MPEG2, MPEG4, HLS, h.264, h.265, HEVC, Flash, QuickTime, andthe like, in a variety of resolutions including but not limited to SD,HD, 4K, UHD, HDRUHD, and the like. The various cameras of array 101 canalso have different settings relative to format, focus, etc.

In addition, according to the exemplary embodiment, the CPU 603 can bean internal computer processor configured to manage systems, includingmanagement of a gateway to import content from the camera array 101. TheCPU 603 is configured to execute one or more computer programs (e.g.,the stitching software) to perform actions by operating on the inputfrom the camera array 101 to create a combined file that constitutes theContent. Moreover, additional content besides the viewing field Contentgenerated and provided by the camera array 101 can be added fromsecondary systems 103 to make a more robust Content file, as describedabove.

In general, the processes and logic flows described herein can beperformed by CPU 603 alone or in combination with the a contentcoordinator 604 below. According to the exemplary embodiment, contentcoordinator 604 is a system/component configured to monitor and analyzethe input content from the array 101 and stitch together the variousinputs (from the array 101 and other inputs) into a coordinated Contentfile with related metadata that allows for the appropriate display ofthe Content depending on the viewing experience. The content coordinator604 can be entirely internal to the system 100 or the contentcoordinator 604 may contain devices such as secondary systems, secondaryimages, a microphone, secondary data files, a camera and the like, tocollect additional data related to the original content. In theexemplary embodiment, the content coordinator 604 is further configuredto monitor and analyze the additional content and the combined originaland additional content. For example, the content coordinator canimplement a system that recognizes an item (or sets of items) in sourceContent and identifies additional data or metadata about the identifieditem(s), as will be discussed in more detail below. In this aspect, thecontent coordinator 604 may also be connected to other secondary systems103. It should be appreciated to one skilled in the art that CPU 603 canbe configured to perform the analysis/processing functions of thecontent coordinator 604 in one embodiment.

Moreover, as described above, the capture/integration/storage system 102can include electronic memory, which can be considered local digitalstorage 605. As would be understood to one skilled in the art, the localstorage 605 can include, for instance, a disk shaped media such asCD-ROM (compact disc-read only memory), magneto optical disc, digitalvideo disc-read only memory or DVD-ROM, digital video disc-random accessmemory or DVD-RAM, a floppy disc, a memory chip such as random accessmemory or RAM, read only memory or ROM, erasable programmable read onlymemory or E-PROM, electrical erasable programmable read only memory orEE-PROM, a rewriteable card-type read only memory such as a smart card,a magnetic tape, a hard disc, and any other suitable means for storing aprogram and/or content data therein. It should be appreciated to oneskilled in the art that the CPU 603 can be configured to perform theanalysis/processing functions of the content coordinator 604 andcombined with the local storage 605 in one embodiment.

In addition, the capture/integration/storage system 102 can furtherinclude a content processor 606. In this aspect, the content processor606 is a system/component configured to process the Content (e.g.,original, additional, and combined) into a package that can be deliveredto the display devices (i.e., devices 106, 107, 108, and/or 109) via oneor more of the distribution systems 104. It should be appreciated to oneskilled in the art that CPU 603, content coordinator 604, and localstorage 605 can be configured to perform the processing functions of thecontent processor 606 in one embodiment. In other words, the CPU 603 canbe configured to process the Content (e.g., original, additional, andcombined) into a package that can be delivered to the display devices(i.e., devices 106, 107, 108, and/or 109) in an alternative embodiment.

The capture/integration/storage system 102 can further include anoriginal/additional content output 607. Specifically, the 3DCCMS 100 isconfigured to directly pass the Content (e.g., original, additional, andcombined) to the distribution system and/or display devices (i.e.,devices 106, 107, 108, and/or 109) using any one of a variety ofhardware mechanisms including but not limited, to, HDMI, Coax, RCA,S-Video, USB, Antenna, wireless, and the like.

Furthermore, as described above, the 3DCCMS 100 executes a stitchingsoftware that matches adjacent frames from more than one file to createone larger file (e.g., similar to panoramic photos that are created byputting together multiple adjacent photos). The stitching software, aswell as additional software configured to control the operation of thevarious components includes each camera of the array 101, can beimplemented according to one or more computer programs executed by CPU603. The computer program(s) (e.g., a program, software, softwareapplication, script, or code) can be written in any form of programminglanguage, including compiled or interpreted languages, declarative orprocedural languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as astand-alone program or as a module (as discussed above), component,subroutine, object, or other unit suitable for use in a computingenvironment.

According to this disclosure, the term “module” refers to a softwareservice or application executed on a computer, including real-worlddevices, components, or arrangement of components implemented usinghardware, such as by an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)or field-programmable gate array (FPGA), for example, or as acombination of hardware and software, such as by a microprocessor systemand a set of instructions to implement the module's functionality, which(while being executed) transform the microprocessor system into aspecial-purpose device. In one aspect, the module can also beimplemented as a combination of the two, with certain functionsfacilitated by hardware alone, and other functions facilitated by acombination of hardware and software. In certain implementations, atleast a portion, and in some cases, all, of a module can be executed onthe processor of a general purpose computer. Accordingly, each modulecan be realized in a variety of suitable configurations, and should notbe limited to any example implementation exemplified herein.

Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment, the capture/integration/storagesystem 102 of the 3DCCMS 100 is a separate discrete piece of hardware,but in alternative embodiments, it could be integrated into the displaydevice, a router, or other parts of the larger ecosystem.

As described herein, there are multiple embodiments of the disclosedsystem and method. For example, the first embodiment provides a firstimplementation of the inventive system disclosed herein. In thisexample, an individual is watching Content on a traditional displaydevice 106, e.g., the individual's television. In this embodiment, afootball game presentation broadcast as TV Service, for example, via thedistribution system 104 from a cable service provider and is received bythe traditional display device 106 that provides the viewer a visualexperience with the appearance of depth, 3D like nature. In thisinstance, the viewer can input one or more controls (via a remotecontrol device, for example) that request the display device 106 toadjust the viewing perspective (i.e., the “field of view”) for theviewer on the screen of the display device 106. In response to thissignal the system 100 can adjust the field of view accordingly byselecting different portions/subsets of the Content to be displayed onthe display device 106.

According to a second embodiment, an individual is walking by astationary holographic display device 107, for example, mounted on awall in a mall and as the perspective of the individual changes, as theywalk by, the content on the stationary holographic display device 107changes in response to the individual's movement, such that it providesan experience similar to walking by a window where the view changes asthe individual moves past the window. In this aspect, the holographicdisplay device 107 or a connected device can include a variety ofdifferent types of sensors (e.g., motion or tracking sensors and thelike) configured to detect the position of the individual with respectto the screen of the holographic display device 107. As a result, thesensors can determine the relative angle of the individual correspondingto the screen (i.e., the user's viewing angle) and can adjust the fieldof view of the Content being displayed on the screen accordingly.

According to a third embodiment, a viewer is moving a movable displaydevice 108. In this example, a tablet with the appropriate software andinternal sensors (which may include one or more of an accelerometer, atouch sensor, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, an inclinometer, an opticalsensor, an inertial tracker and the like) is moved relative to theviewer and the viewer sees the object depicted in the Content fromdifferent perspectives that are directly related to the position and ormovement of the movable display device 108 as the movable display device108 moves. Furthermore, this embodiment could also address a limitationof traditional virtual reality experiences. Since the majority of thevirtual reality content creation systems are a collection of cameras allfacing outward from a central single point they create a single pointperspective experience. Given the structure of the array 101 disclosedherein and the rest of the inventive system, this embodiment can be usedin a virtual reality display device and provide a semi-off rails virtualreality experience in that the viewer is not limited to a predeterminedsingle point perspective view.

According to a fourth embodiment, an individual is moving a movableholographic display device 109. The general experiences of the secondand third embodiments are combined such that in this example the tabletwith appropriate software and internal sensors (which may include one ormore of an accelerometer, a touch sensor, a gyroscope, a magnetometer,an optical sensor, an inertial tracker and the like) is moved and/or theviewer also moves then the Content changes in direct relation to theviewer and device movements.

For each of the foregoing examples, it is contemplated that thefollowing exemplary processes can be performed according to onerefinement of the exemplary embodiment. Concurrently (or subsequently),the capture/integration/storage system 102 passes information about theContent to secondary systems 103 that in turn recognizes items in theContent. In particular, the secondary systems 103 can identify, forexample, the general subject matter of the Content (e.g., a footballgame/program) or one or more specific items (e.g., a jersey, a teamlogo, or the like) in the Content being displayed on the display device(i.e., devices 106, 107, 108, and/or 109). Thecapture/integration/storage system 102 in conjunction with the secondarysystems 103 then presents the viewer of the display devices 106, 107,108, and/or 109 with other content of football related products that theindividual could purchase and also browse related products, or get moredetailed information about the products. This information can beobtained from the secondary systems 103 (e.g., the Internet) and caninclude product advertisements, videos, and the like. One exemplarysystem that recognizes an item (or sets of items) in source content andidentifies additional data or metadata about the identified item(s) areU.S. Pat. Nos. 9,167,304 and 9,344,774 and U.S. patent application Ser.Nos. 14/940,283 and 15/132,653, the contents of each of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

Moreover, in another refinement of the exemplary embodiments, the 3DCCMS100 either automatically, or in response to user control, launches anelectronic shopping application enabling the user to purchase one ormore of the displayed products. Exemplary applications include theelectronic shopping systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,752,083,7,756,758, 8,326,692, 8,423,421, 9,117,234, and 8,768,781, and U.S.patent application Ser. Nos. 13/792,628, 14/731,594 and 15/098,705, thecontents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Additionally, according to further refinement of the exemplaryembodiments, the 3DCCMS 100 may also utilize secondary systems toincorporate a pointer into the Content or use the related pointer to aidin point of view navigation within the content. Exemplary applicationsinclude the pointer and navigation systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.8,717,289, 9,094,707 and 9,294,556, and U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/040,021, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated byreference.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart for a method for creating, managing anddistributing virtual 3D content in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention. The exemplary method is describedwith respect to the components of FIG. 1 and their associatedfunctionality as discussed herein. Initially at step 705, the cameraarray 101 is configured with initial settings covering the descriptiveinformation about the array 101 itself. As discussed above, the initialsettings can include, for example, camera locations and angles withrespect to the other cameras in the array 101, the aperture settings foreach camera, and the like. The content creator (e.g., systemadministrator) generally establishes these initial settings of the array101 in order to optimize the viewer's experience when consuming theContent, as should be appreciated based on the foregoing disclosure.Next, at step 710, the data obtained by each camera of array 101 isprovided to capture/integration/storage system 102. Once the video iscaptured from each of the multiple cameras in the array 101, it can beintegrated together along with the initial setting information using thestitching software to create the Content as a unified whole, eitherlive, recorded, or a combination of both (step 715). At step 720,additional data may be integrated from secondary systems to furtherenhance the Content and the resulting viewer experience. It should beappreciated that step 720 is optional according to one embodiment. Ineither case, at step 725, the content is now ready to be distributed toplay-out on display devices (i.e., devices 106, 107, 108, and/or 109).Depending on the playout device and the viewer consumption activity,there is a feedback loop that is processed at step 735 to adapt theContent that is distributed allowing the viewer to adjust their point ofview by the system providing to the viewing device (i.e., devices 106,107, 108, and/or 109) alternative portions of the Content.

Finally, FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a general-purpose computersystem (which may be a personal computer or a server) on which thedisclosed systems and method can be implemented according to an exampleaspect. It should be appreciated that the detailed general-purposecomputer system can correspond to the capture/integration/storage system102 described above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 6, for example.Moreover, the remote computer(s) 49, as described below, can correspondto the secondary systems 103, as discussed above.

As shown in FIG. 8, the computer system 20 includes a central processingunit 21, a system memory 22 and a system bus 23 connecting the varioussystem components, including the memory associated with the centralprocessing unit 21. The central processing unit 21 can correspond to theCPU 603 and/or content coordinator 604 the system memory 22 cancorrespond to local storage 605 of FIG. 6, according to an exemplaryaspect. Furthermore, the system bus 23 is realized like any busstructure known from the prior art, including in turn a bus memory orbus memory controller, a peripheral bus and a local bus, which is ableto interact with any other bus architecture. The system memory includesread only memory (ROM) 24 and random-access memory (RAM) 25. The basicinput/output system (BIOS) 26 includes the basic procedures ensuring thetransfer of information between elements of the computer system 20, suchas those at the time of loading the operating system with the use of theROM 24.

The computer system 20, in turn, includes a hard disk 27 for reading andwriting of data, a magnetic disk drive 28 for reading and writing onremovable magnetic disks 29 and an optical drive 30 for reading andwriting on removable optical disks 31, such as CD-ROM, DVD-ROM and otheroptical information media. The hard disk 27, the magnetic disk drive 28,and the optical drive 30 are connected to the system bus 23 across thehard disk interface 32, the magnetic disk interface 33 and the opticaldrive interface 34, respectively. The drives and the correspondingcomputer information media are power-independent modules for storage ofcomputer instructions, data structures, program modules and other dataof the computer system 20.

The present disclosure provides the implementation of a system that usesa hard disk 27, a removable magnetic disk 29 and a removable opticaldisk 31, but it should be understood that it is possible to employ othertypes of computer information media 56 which are able to store data in aform readable by a computer (solid state drives, flash memory cards,digital disks, random-access memory (RAM) and so on), which areconnected to the system bus 23 via the controller 55.

The computer 20 has a file system 36, where the recorded operatingsystem 35 is kept, and also additional program applications 37, otherprogram modules 38 and program data 39. The user is able to entercommands and information into the computer system 20 by using inputdevices (keyboard 40, mouse 42). Other input devices (not shown) can beused: microphone, joystick, game controller, scanner, and so on. Suchinput devices usually plug into the computer system 20 through a serialport 46, which in turn is connected to the system bus, but they can beconnected in other ways, for example, with the aid of a parallel port, agame port or a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor 47 or other type ofdisplay device is also connected to the system bus 23 across aninterface, such as a video adapter 48. In addition to the monitor 47,the computer system can be equipped with other peripheral output devices(not shown), such as loudspeakers, a printer, and so on.

The computer system 20 is able to operate within a network environment,using a network connection to one or more remote computers 49. Theremote computer (or computers) 49 are also personal computers or servershaving the majority or all of the aforementioned elements in describingthe nature of a computer system 20. Other devices can also be present inthe computer network, such as routers, network stations, peer devices orother network nodes.

Network connections can form a local-area computer network (LAN) 50,such as a wired and/or wireless network, and a wide-area computernetwork (WAN). Such networks are used in corporate computer networks andinternal company networks, and they generally have access to theInternet. In LAN or WAN networks, the computer system 20 is connected tothe local-area network 50 across a network adapter or network interface51. When networks are used, the computer system 20 can employ a modem 54or other modules for providing communications with a wide-area computernetwork such as the Internet. The modem 54, which is an internal orexternal device, is connected to the system bus 23 by a serial port 46.It should be noted that the network connections are only examples andneed not depict the exact configuration of the network, i.e., in realitythere are other ways of establishing a connection of one computer toanother by technical communication modules, such as Bluetooth.

In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of theaspects are disclosed herein. It will be appreciated that in thedevelopment of any actual implementation of the present disclosure,numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made in order toachieve the developer's specific goals, and that these specific goalswill vary for different implementations and different developers. Itwill be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex andtime-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking ofengineering for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminologyused herein is for the purpose of description and not of restriction,such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification isto be interpreted by those skilled in the art in light of the teachingsand guidance presented herein, in combination with the knowledge ofthose skilled in the relevant art(s). Moreover, it is not intended forany term in the specification or claims to be ascribed an uncommon orspecial meaning unless explicitly set forth as such.

The various aspects disclosed herein encompass present and future knownequivalents to the known modules referred to herein by way ofillustration. Moreover, while aspects and applications have been shownand described, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art havingthe benefit of this disclosure that many more modifications thanmentioned above are possible without departing from the inventiveconcepts disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for generating video content having anappearance of three dimensional depth, the system comprising: a cameraarray including a plurality of cameras arranged at different positionsrelative to each other and each camera being configured to capture videoimage data of a portion of a viewing field of the camera array;electronic memory configured to store the video image data captured byeach camera of the camera array and settings information of each camerathat indicate at least the different positions of each camera and timingdata for the capture of the video image data by each camera; and aprocessor configured to: create synchronized combined video content ofthe viewing field of the camera array by using the settings informationof each camera including the timing data for the captured video imagedata to combine and synchronize the video image data captured by each ofthe plurality of cameras, generate a field of view from the synchronizedcombined video content based on the captured video image data of theviewing field with a center section of the field of view having a sharpfocus and a peripheral section of the field of view having a soft focus,and configure optical settings of the respective one or more cameras inthe camera array that correspond to the center section of the field ofview to provide the sharp focus for the field of view, and configureoptical settings of the respective one or more cameras in the cameraarray that correspond to the peripheral section of the field of view toprovide the soft focus for the field of view; configure the respectiveone or more cameras in the camera array that correspond to the centersection of the field of view by adjusting at least one of a direction ofrotation or a speed of rotation of at least one aperture of each of therespective one or more cameras to configure respective optical settingsof each of the respective one or more cameras to provide the sharp focusfor the field of view; and configure the respective one or more camerasin the camera array that correspond to the peripheral section of thefield of view by adjusting at least one of a direction of rotation or aspeed of rotation of the at least one aperture to configure respectiveoptical settings of each of the respective one or more cameras toprovide the soft focus for the field of view.
 2. The system according toclaim 1, wherein each of the plurality of cameras includes a diaphragmconfigured to rotate during capture of the video image data and at leastone aperture located off-center in the diaphragm and configured torotate around the diaphragm when each camera captures the respectivevideo image data.
 3. The system according to claim 2, wherein theelectronic memory is further configured to store diaphragm settinginformation of the diaphragm of each camera and aperture settinginformation of the at least one aperture of each camera.
 4. The systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:receive view perspective data from a viewing device; and generate thefield of view from the synchronized combined video content based on theview perspective data, with the field of view having the appearance ofthree dimensional depth.
 5. The system according to claim 4, wherein thesynchronized combined video content of the viewing field has firstdimensions corresponding to the viewing field of the viewing field ofthe camera array and the field of view displayed on the viewing devicehas second dimensions that are smaller than the first dimensions.
 6. Thesystem according to claim 4, wherein the view perspective data isgenerated by the viewing device in response to at least one of: an inputsignal received from a user of the viewing device, data generated by atleast one motion sensor configured to detect a position of viewerrelative to the viewing device, and data generated by an internal sensorof the viewing device, with the internal sensor comprising at least oneof an accelerometer, a touch sensor, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, anoptical sensor, and an inertial tracker.
 7. The system according toclaim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to accessadditional content related to the captured video image data and causethe additional content to be displayed on the viewing device inconjunction with the field of view.
 8. The system according to claim 2,wherein the at least one aperture of each of the plurality of cameras isconfigured to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction aroundthe diaphragm when the camera captures the video image data.
 9. Thesystem according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configuredto adjust the sharp focus of the center section of the field of view andthe soft focus of the peripheral section of the field of view byadjusting sharpness of focus of sets of pixels of the video image datacaptured by one or more cameras of the plurality of cameras in thecamera array.
 10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the pluralityof cameras of the camera array are arranged in a planar grid, such thatthe viewing field of the camera array has a planar focus.
 11. The systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cameras of the cameraarray are arranged in a non-planar grid, such that the viewing field ofthe camera array has a non-planar focus, and wherein the non-planar gridcomprises a parabolic section consisting of at least one of a concaveshape, a convex shape, a spherical shape and a hemispherical shape. 12.The system according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of theplurality of cameras are configured to move to different positionsrelative to each other while the plurality of cameras capture the videoimage data of the viewing field of the camera array.
 13. The systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:create the synchronized combined video content using the captured videoimage data by each camera of the plurality of cameras and relativepositions and angles of each camera of the plurality of cameras withrespect to other cameras in the camera array, and adjust the relativepositions and angles of at least a portion of the plurality of camerasbased on changes in the viewing field of the camera array.
 14. Thesystem according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality ofmicrophones at different positions of at least a portion of locations ofthe plurality of cameras, with each microphone being configured tocapture audio data that is configured to be played by a viewing devicewhen the generated field of view is displayed on the viewing device. 15.A method for generating video content having an appearance of threedimensional depth, the method comprising: capturing, by a camera arrayincluding a plurality of cameras arranged at different positionsrelative to each other, video image data of a portion of a viewing fieldof the camera array; storing the video image data captured by eachcamera of the camera array and settings information of each camera thatindicate at least the different positions of each camera and timing datafor capturing the video image data by each camera; creating synchronizedcombined video content of the viewing field of the camera array by usingthe settings information of each camera including the timing data forthe captured video image data to combine and synchronize the video imagedata captured by each of the plurality of cameras; generating a field ofview from the synchronized combined video content based on the capturedvideo image data of the viewing field with a center section of the fieldof view having a sharp focus and a peripheral section of the field ofview having a soft focus; configuring optical settings of the respectiveone or more cameras in the camera array that correspond to the centersection of the field of view to provide the sharp focus for the field ofview, configuring optical settings of the respective one or more camerasin the camera array that correspond to the peripheral section of thefield of view to provide the soft focus for the field of view;configuring the respective one or more cameras in the camera array thatcorrespond to the center section of the field of view by adjusting atleast one of a direction of rotation or a speed of rotation of the atleast one aperture to configure respective optical settings of each ofthe respective one or more cameras to provide the sharp focus for thefield of view; and configuring the respective one or more cameras in thecamera array that correspond to the peripheral section of the field ofview by adjusting at least one of a direction of rotation or a speed ofrotation of the at least one aperture to configure respective opticalsettings of each of the respective one or more cameras to provide thesoft focus for the field of view.
 16. The method according to claim 15,wherein each of the plurality of cameras includes a diaphragm configuredto rotate during capture of the video image data and at least oneaperture located off-center in the diaphragm and configured to rotatearound the diaphragm when each camera captures the respective videoimage data.
 17. The method according to claim 16, further comprisingstoring diaphragm setting information of the diaphragm of each cameraand aperture setting information of the at least one aperture of eachcamera.
 18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:receiving view perspective data from a viewing device; and generatingthe field of view from the synchronized combined video content based onthe view perspective data, with the field of view having the appearanceof three dimensional depth.
 19. The method according to claim 18,wherein the synchronized combined video content of the viewing field hasfirst dimensions corresponding to the viewing field of the viewing fieldof the camera array and the field of view displayed on the viewingdevice has second dimensions that are smaller than the first dimensions.20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising generating theview perspective data by the viewing device in response to at least oneof: receiving an input signal from a user of the viewing device;generating data by at least one motion sensor configured to detect aposition of viewer relative to the viewing device; and generating databy an internal sensor of the viewing device, with the internal sensorcomprising at least one of an accelerometer, a touch sensor, agyroscope, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, and an inertial tracker.21. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: accessingadditional content related to the captured video image data; anddisplaying the additional content on the viewing device in conjunctionwith the field of view.
 22. The method according to claim 16, furthercomprising rotating the at least one aperture of each of the pluralityof cameras in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction around thediaphragm when the camera captures the video image data.
 23. The methodaccording to claim 15, further comprising adjusting the sharp focus ofthe center section of the field of view and the soft focus of theperipheral section of the field of view by adjusting sharpness of focusof sets of pixels of the video image data captured by one or morecameras of the plurality of cameras in the camera array.
 24. The methodaccording to claim 15, further comprising arranging the plurality ofcameras of the camera array in a planar grid, such that the viewingfield of the camera array has a planar focus.
 25. The method accordingto claim 15, further comprising arranging the plurality of cameras ofthe camera array in a non-planar grid, such that the viewing field ofthe camera array has a non-planar focus, with the non-planar grid havinga parabolic section consisting of at least one of a concave shape, aconvex shape, a spherical shape and a hemispherical shape.
 26. Themethod according to claim 15, further comprising moving at least aportion of the plurality of cameras to different positions relative toeach other while the plurality of cameras capture the video image dataof the viewing field of the camera array.
 27. The method according toclaim 15, further comprising: creating the synchronized combined videocontent using the captured video image data by each camera of theplurality of cameras and relative positions and angles of each camera ofthe plurality of cameras with respect to other cameras in the cameraarray; and adjusting the relative positions and angles of at least aportion of the plurality of cameras based on changes in the viewingfield of the camera array.
 28. The method according to claim 15, furthercomprising capturing, by a plurality of microphones at differentpositions of at least a portion of locations of the plurality ofcameras, audio data configured to be played by a viewing device when thegenerated field of view is displayed on the viewing device.